Finally, a makeover for Marine Drive

Even two years after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over the Marine Drive stretch to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for beautification, work had not even begun.

Even two years after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over the Marine Drive stretch to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for beautification, work had not even begun.

Now, with less the two weeks before the US President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to the city, the civic body has frantically started spruce-up efforts. The divider that was part of the beautification was handed over to BMC without much work done on it, now the civic body will be planting new trees, taking out debris from the divider and painting it.

“The divider and parts of the promenade needed to be upgraded. Now, we will have to complete the work by October 30,” a senior civic official said.

The civic body is also undertaking levelling and painting of medians and strips along the border of the seaface.

The civic body is also getting grilles and gates of buildings near Worli Sea face painted. On Wednesday afternoon, civic staff were spotted painting the grilles of Narayan Pujari Nagar society in Worli. “The civic body has asked us to paint the grilles of buildings abutting the seaface before the US president’s visit,” the worker said.

The officials said the BMC had written to the BEST to make sure that all street lights in Marine Drive, Nariman Point, Gateway of India and Colaba are working.

The civic body also added that if conservancy workers were on leave during Diwali, other private labourers would be appointed or staff from other wards would be diverted for the purpose.

Special attention will be given to garbage collection and disposal from these areas. Conservancy workers in most areas around south Mumbai work in two shifts, but BMC will increase shifts if needed.